PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT - Bilingual Programme I.E.S.

Fray Pedro de Urbina

TRACK AND FIELD - ATHLETICS

Many people have memories of competing in athletics, or
"track and field", in school. Some competed in running events, such as
sprints and longer-distance races, jumping events, such as high jump
and long jump, or throwing events, such as discus and shot put.

While most people give up athletics after leaving school, a

few go on to become professional athletes who compete in top
competitions around the world.

Many people enjoy watching these highly-skilled, super-fit

athletes when they compete in major competitions such as the IAAF
World Championships in Athletics and the Olympic Games.

TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETICS, commonly known as athletics or track and field, is a
collection of sports events that involve running, throwing and jumping. The name "athletics" is derived
from the Greek word "athlos" meaning "contest".

History
It is based on man’s natural skills (running, walking, jumping, throwing…).

Athletics competitions date back to ancient times. By the 8th century B.C., athletics events
were part of the original Olympics (Greek Olympic Games - 776 B.C.). The main event in the Olympics
was the Pentathlon, which involved a short foot race (180 m.), long jump, discus throw, javelin
throw and wrestling. During the Olympics peace was declared, a sacred truce in all Greece.

Some of the events from that time, such as javelin and discus throwing, are still part of
modern athletics. From the time of the first modern Olympic Games until now, Athletics has been
one of the main sports in the Olympics. Nowadays, the World Championships in Athletics is seen as
one of the top events in the world of sports, along with the Summer Olympics and the FIFA World
Cup Football Tournament.

Athletics was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 (Athens). Women were first
allowed to participate in track and field events in the 1928 Olympics (Amsterdam).

Modern athletic events are usually organized around a 400 metre running track on which
most of the running events take place. Field events (jumping and throwing) often take place inside the
track.

How Athletics works

In individual sports, each sportsman competes against all the others.

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They can compete at the same time (TRACK EVENTS) or in turns (FIELD EVENTS).

When they compete at the same time, they can do it in the same space (1500 m.) or in their
own lanes (100 m).

The winners are determined by the best time, the highest or longest distance or the best
score.

Athletes can practise this sport outdoor (spring and summer) or indoor (winter). Outdoor
competitions take place on a 400 metre track with 8 or 9 lanes; jumping and throwing events take
place on the large open area inside the track. Indoor events take place on a 200 metre track with 4-6
lanes.

In both indoor and outdoor competitions, men and women compete in their own events.
While they usually run the same distances in track events, hurdles are lower for women. In field
events, the weights of the shot, discus, javelin and hammer are less for women than for men.

Some rules
Starting blocks must be used for all races up to
and including 400 m. and may not be used for any other
race. At most international competitions the commands
of the starter are "On your marks" and "Set". When
all athletes are "set", the gun must be fired.

False start. It is called a false start when a runner starts too soon, before the gun is fired.
Any athlete making two false starts is out of the competition.

In the races, racers run in lanes, and each athlete must keep inside
his lane from start to finish.

Track events
Track events include a wide range of races for runners.

Running and race-walking events

Sprints (the shortest races) are events up to and including the 400
metres:

• 60 metres (indoors only)

• 100 metres
• 200 metres
• 400 metres

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Hurdles events are:

• 60 metres hurdles (indoors only)

• 100 metres hurdles (women)
• 110 metres hurdles (men)
• 400 metres hurdles

Relay races are events in which four athletes participate as a

team. In these races, runners carry a baton
and pass it to the next runner as they finish
their part of the race:

• 4 x 100 metres relay

• 4 x 400 metres relay

Middle Distance Events are events longer than

sprints and up to 3000 metres:

• 800 metres
• 1500 metres
• One mile
• 3000 metres
• 3000 metres steeplechase (runners have to jump
over barriers and water jumps)

Long Distance Events are events over 3000 metres:

• 5000 metres
• 10000 metres

Road Races are events conducted on open roads, sometimes finishing on a track:

• 10 km
• 20 km
• Half marathon(21.0975 km)
• Marathon (42.195 km). It is the longest race for runners. Most of this 42.195 km race is
run on public roads, with only the last part being run on an athletics track.

Race-walking may be contested on either the track or on open roads:

• 10 km
• 20 km
• 50 km (men)

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Field events
Field events include jumping events and throwing events. The
jumping events are the high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole-vault.
The throwing events are the shot put, in which a heavy metal ball (called
the shot) is thrown as far as possible; the hammer throw, in which a heavy
metal ball attached to a wire and handle is thrown;
the javelin, in which a spear-like object made of
metal or fiberglass is thrown; and the discus, in
which a heavy disc is thrown.

Throwing events

• Discus Throw
• Hammer Throw
• Javelin Throw
• Shot Put

Jumping events

• High Jump
• Pole Vault
• Long Jump
• Triple Jump

Multiple Event Competitions

These competitions include events from both the track (running) and field (jumping and
throwing).

Heptathlon (for women): it includes SEVEN events.

Decathlon (for men): it includes TEN events.

Athletics TRACK

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Athletics Vocabulary

Word Example sentence Meaning

athlete Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis are two of a person who is skilled in track and
the greatest athletes of all time. field events; a sportsperson

athletics Many people compete in athletics the sport of competing in track and
competitions while they are in school. field events

baton The worst mistake a relay runner can a short stick or tube passed from
make is to drop the baton. runner to runner in a relay race

bell lap The bell rang and I knew I only had the final lap in a distance race,
400 metres of the bell lap to go. signalled by the ringing of a bell

decathlon A decathlon competition is normally a men's athletic competition combining

held over two days. 10 track and field events

discus The discus throw is one of the oldest a heavy, thick-centered disk; the sport
events in athletics. of throwing the discus

false start She moved forward before the failed start of a race, usually caused
starting gun went off, and a false start by a runner moving forward before the
was declared. starting gun is fired

field Some athletes prefer track events an area of open land; events in
while others prefer the field events. athletics that involve throwing and
jumping

foul If a long jumper's foot goes over the an unfair or illegal act, e.g. foul throw,
takeoff board, the jump will be called a foul jump
foul.

hammer Most athletes who compete in the a 16-pound metal ball attached to a
hammer throw are big and very strong. wire for throwing in an athletic
contest; the sport of throwing the
hammer

heptathlon Women who compete in the heptathlon a women's athletic competition

have to spend a lot of time training for combining 7 track and field events
all the different events.

high jump Most athletes who compete in the high sport in which competitors jump over a
jump are very tall and slim. bar that is raised until only one
competitor can jump over it

hurdles The hurdles used in women's races are upright frames, normally placed in a
10 cm lower than those used in the series, that athletes jump over; a race
men's events. over such frames

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javelin Officials must be sure that javelin a lightweight, spear-like object; the
throwers have plenty of room in which sport of throwing the javelin
to compete.

lane Most running tracks have 8 lanes, each of a number of parallel strips
allowing up to 8 runners to compete in marked on a running track for athletes
a race. to run along

lap A 400-metre race is one lap of an one circuit of, or one time around, a
outdoor track, or two laps of an indoor running track or a racetrack
track.

long jump Carl Lewis was a champion sprinter, but an athletic event in which competitors
he was also a four-time Olympic jump as far as possible along the
champion in the long jump. ground in one leap

marathon Not many people become marathon a long-distance running race of 26

runners because it is such a difficult miles and 385 yards (42.195 km)
race.

middle-distance Many of the world's best middle- a race distance of between 800 and
distance runners come from Northern 5,000 metres
Africa.

pole-vault The pole-vault is one of the most an event in which competitors vault
technically difficult events in over a high bar with the aid of an
athletics, and also one of the most extremely long, flexible pole used to
exciting to watch. give extra spring

relay Relay races are some of the few race between teams of runners in
events in athletics that are team which each team member in turn
sports, not individual sports. covers part of the total distance

record The main goals for top athletes are the best performance in a sporting
Olympic medals, world titles, and world event that has been officially
records. measured and noted

shot put Many of the world's best competitors an athletic contest in which a very
in shot put come from Northern and heavy metal ball is thrown as far as
Eastern Europe. possible

sprint One of the sprint races that always a short, fast race run over a distance
creates a lot of interest is the 100 of 400 metres or less
metres.

starting blocks Before the race, the sprinters small rigid blocks for bracing a
squatted down and positioned their runner's feet at the start of a race
feet in the starting blocks.

steeplechase When runners in the steeplechase go a running race in which competitors

over the water jump, they're trying must clear hurdles and water jumps
not to fall over.

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track An athletics track is usually oval in a prepared circuit for athletes to run
shape, 400 metres long, and it usually on; the sport of running on such a
has 8 running lanes. track

track and field "Track and field" is the term used in athletics events that take place on a
North America, while "athletics" is running track and on a field often
used in most other places. enclosed by the track

triple jump Most people who are good at the triple an event in which competitors leap as
jump are tall and lean, and most are far as possible by performing a hop, a
also good at sprinting. step and a jump

ACTIVITIES
1. What are the three main types of athletics events?

2. Write down the two types of “length” jumps and the two types of “height” jumps.

3. Try to find out on the Internet or in an encyclopaedia which seven events make up the
heptathlon.

4. One of the events in the Olympic Games in ancient Greece was:

a. Discus
b. Steeplechase
c. Pole Vault

5. Most outdoor athletics tracks have:

a. 6 lanes
b. 8 lanes
c. 12 lanes

6. Most indoor athletics tracks have a length of:

a. 200 metres
b. 300 metres
c. 400 metres

7. The longest running race in athletics is the:

a. Steeplechase
b. 10.000 metres
c. Marathon

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8. Some of the few team events in athletics are the:

a. Relay races
b. Field events
c. Triple jumps

9. Field events in athletics include jumping and:

a. Running events
b. Throwing events
c. Sprinting events

10. In relay races, the runners carry a:

a. Discus
b. Baton
c. Bell

11. The Heptathlon is an event for:

a. Women
b. Men
c. Men and women

12. The last lap of a middle-distance race is called the:

a. Fast lap
b. False lap
c. Bell lap

13. If a runner starts too soon, a:

a. Failed start is called
b. Fast start is called
c. False start is called

14. In sprint races, each runner runs in his or her own:

a. Lane
b. Line
c. Track

15. The best-ever performance in an event is called a:

a. Record
b. Title
c. Champion

16. Runners have to go over a water jump in the:

a. Marathon
b. Steeplechase
c. Pole Vault

17. Runners run fastest in the:

a. Middle-distance races
b. Long-distance races
c. Sprint races

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18. Write the proper word or expression below each picture.

TRIPLE JUMP / POLE VAULT / SHOT PUT / LONG JUMP / HIGH JUMP /
DISCUS THROW / HAMMER THROW / JAVELIN THROW / ON YOUR MARKS /
(GET) SET / 100 M. HURDLES / 110 M. HURDLES / STARTING BLOCKS

www.englishclub.com, www.wikipedia.org